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Soke Takayoshi Nagamine 1945 - 2012

I just received word that Soke Takayoshi Nagamine, head of Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu, passed away. This is indeed a sad day for traditional karate-do.

The following is a biography of Takayoshi Nagamine from Wikipedia:

Takayoshi Nagamine (長嶺 高兆 Nagamine Takayoshi born August 12, 1945, was a prominent Okinawan karate master and also at times a Naha City Councilman and a Criminal Investigator for the United States Marine Corps.Takayoshi was born in Naha, Okinawa as the only son of Shoshin Nagamine and commenced training in Matsubayashi-ryu under his father's tutelage at the age of six years old.

Takayoshi was the second generation headmaster and successor to the World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association and the Matsubayashi-ryu system as founded by his father, Shoshin Nagamine. He was also the Chief Instructor of the Kodokan Nagamine Karate Dojo located in Kumoji, Naha, Okinawa, Japan from 1997 to 2012. At the direction of his father, and in order to help the development of Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do, Takayoshi went to the United States in his early 20s (c. 1960) ,opened a dojo and taught in the Ohio region and around the United States for approximately 10 years

Takayoshi returned to Okinawa in order to assist his father, Shoshin Nagamine with the running of the World Honbu Dojo and the World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association.

In 1991, Shoshin Nagamine retired from running the World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association and in a speech passed the leadership on to his son, Takayoshi Nagamine.

In 1997, after his father's passing, Takayoshi took the position as Soke (head) of the Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do system. In October 2008, Takayoshi was promoted to the rank of Hanshisei 10th Dan in Matsubayashi-ryu. Takayoshi has helped with the development, establishment and teaching of some of the most senior instructors throughout the world including, but not limited to Australia, United States, Germany, Norway, Ireland and Canada.